The Design Exchange has hosted exhibitions dealing with everything from urban factories, to French lingerie, to the pursuit of happiness. It’s not surprising, then, that its upcoming show delves into yet another niche: the peculiar world of the conceptual toys—objects that are made not as playthings, but purely as examples of art and design.
Opening on Friday, February 7, This Is Not A Toy will feature gigantic contemporary sculptures, miniscule figurines, and a range of artwork and film by artists like Kaws , Friendswithyou , Coarse , and Huck Gee. Curators John Wee Tom and The Design Exchange’s Sara Nickelson had the help of recent Grammy winner Pharrell Williams , who is a big fan of conceptual toys.
Here’s a slideshow of some of the works that will be on display, from the intriguing to the downright bizarre. The exhibition runs until May 19, and tickets are $18.90 each.
257738 Yoshitomo Nara, <em>Sleepless Night Sitting. </em>2007. Fibreglass.<br />
Image courtesy of the artist <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/1-13/ 1-13 0 0
257740 Coarse, <em>Casting Shadows. </em>2011. Vinyl, plastic. 14''.<br />
Image courtesy of the artist <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/3-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/3.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/3-19/ 3-19 0 0
257741 Coarse, <em>False Friends HKG. </em>2010. Vinyl, fabric. 13''.<br />
Image courtesy of the artists <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/4-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/4.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/4-11/ 4-11 0 0
257742 Doma,<em> Master Control. </em>2004. Plush, vinyl, metal.<br />
Image courtesy of the artists <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/5-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/5.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/5-10/ 5-10 0 0
257743 Kaws, <em>Astro Boy. </em>2012. Vinyl, 15''.<br />
Image by Derek Shapton <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/6-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/6.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/6-8/ 6-8 0 0
257744 Kidrobot, <em>Gloomy Dunny</em>. 2009. Vinyl. <br />
Image courtesy of the artist <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/7-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/7.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/7-4/ 7-4 0 0
257745 Huck Gee, <em>Hello I'm Insane. </em>2006. Vinyl, Cloth. 8''.<br />
Image by Derek Shapton. From the collection of John Wee Tom <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/9-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/9.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/9-7/ 9-7 0 0
257746 Kaws x Mediacom, <em>Kaws Be@rbrick (Chompers). </em>2003. Vinyl. 70 cm.<br />
From the collection of Jonathan Elias <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/10.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/10-15/ 10-15 0 0
257747 Doma x Kidrobot, <em>MoMA Dunnys</em>. 2006. Vinyl. 3''.<br />
Image courtesy of the artists <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/11.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/11-14/ 11-14 0 0
257748 Friendswithyou, <em>Super Malfi Bop Bag</em>. 2013. Inflatable. 52''.<br />
Image courtesy of the artists <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/12.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/12-12/ 12-12 0 0
257751 Kaws x Mediacom Toy, <em>Companion (five years later). </em>2004. Vinyl, 4'.<br />
Image by Derek Shapton. From the collection of Jonathan Elias <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/15-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/15.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/15.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/15-7/ 15-7 0 0
257739 Friends With You, <em>Cloudy. </em>2012. Animated short film. Length: 6:22.<br />
Image courtesy of the artist <em>This Is Not A Toy</em> at The Design Exchange https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2.jpg 1000 664 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/this-is-not-a-toy-design-exhcange-pharrell-williams/slide/2-11/ 2-11 0 0